The loss of a loved one is always hard. But the loss of a child due to miscarriage, stillbirth or neo-natal death can be even harder.

Katy Dortenzo, founder of Sweet Grace Ministries, knows first hand of this experience after her first child was stillborn. This is why she helped to organize the first ever Sweet Walk to Remember and Balloon Release - to not only remember the child but help the parents.

About 250 people attended Sunday's event where 64 names of children lost were read and an eco-friendly balloon was released for each of them.
"Infant loss is not spoken about very often," Dortenzo said. "I just think it's important for people to know how many people lost children."

Often families deal with the loss on their own in quiet grie, but now they can connect with other families, share stories and honor their children, she said.

Jennifer Younker, Hagerstown, Md., came out to support a good friend of hers who had lost a little girl.

"It's a cause that nobody realizes how many it affects,' she said. "To have this many people out here is touching."

While hearing the dozens of names and seeing the balloons being released, Younker said she was speechless.

"It's a moment where everything hits you when they read the names and you realize," she said.

Friends Mary Gotwald, Chambersburg, and Martha Willson, Rockville, Md., came out since they both have children who have lost babies.

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Loss is often kept personal, but through events like Sunday's it creates a large support group, Gotwald said, adding how touching the balloon launch was to see.

"They were released and you could just see the souls go up to heaven," she said.

Willson also came out on Sunday in honor of another family who had lost a child but used their tragedy to help her family.

"My granddaughter was four months old and needed a heart transplant," she said. "So we were here today to remember the donor and the donor's family."

As a whole, our society does not handle grief well, Willson said.

"Many parents feel isolated or are told to move on or you can have other children, but that doesn't validate what happened," she said.

Kristi Benbow, Chambersburg, not only came out to support her friend Dortenzo but also her brother and sister-in-law who just lost a baby.

"I was crying," she said. "It made me feel sad yet thankful that Katy would give a voice to those mothers."

Dortenzo got involved in the walk after another organization suggested they do one in Franklin County as well.

"Sweat Pea Project in Lancaster asked us to be an affiliate," she said. "We've partnered with them to bring it to Chambersburg."

The event also helped to raise money for the non-profit organization through walker pledges, Dortenzo said.

More than $12,000 was raised to assist in their services to families at Chambersburg Hospital and potentially expand services to Waynesboro and Gettysburg hospitals.

For more information on Sweet Grace Ministries or to get involved, visit http://www.sweetgraceministries.com.

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Samantha Cossick can be reached at scossick@publicopinionnews.com and 262-4762.